By Bonnie Russell
Free income tax services are being offered this month to senior citizens, disabled persons and people with low income.
The Senior Citizens Council of Ottawa has organized 31 free income tax clinics at 17 different locations across the city until March 21. Five clinics are being held in the Centretown area at Jack Purcell, McNabb and Dalhousie community centres. The service has been in operation for at least 20 years.
Vice-president Evelyn Shore says the program is limited to 1,000 applicants because it’s a free service. The cost of having income taxes prepared by a leading tax preparation firm starts at $60. So far, about 200 appointments have been made.
“At the end we’re turning people away — we don’t have any spaces left,” says Shore.
Because of space constraints, Shore says applicants are chosen based on their restricted income. People ages 65 and older who earned less than $23,000 last year as well as individuals who made $18,000 or less are eligible. Single parents who earned less than $20,000 and families who earned $23,500 or less also qualify. Disabled people who fall into these categories can also have their income tax return prepared for free by local accountants.
The free labour of accountants is provided through the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. Many of the accountants have been volunteering for at least six years.
Trevor O’Brien, head of tax clinics for the Ottawa Chartered Accountants Association, books the accountants at the various clinics. He says volunteers, who range from 20-year veterans to recent graduates, are happy to give back to the community.
“For many of us it’s our expertise area so it’s easy to give back in that way. People really enjoy volunteering for the most part,” says O’Brien.
Evelyn Towers, a volunteer supervisor at the clinics for the past six years, says people are always happy with the service.
“Most of them are just so pleased to be getting their papers done and they’re so thankful.”
“I think it’s wonderful,” says Connie Clair, who has attended the free clinics since the 1990s. “There are quite a few of us who go and we make a little party out of it.”
Kay Freeman, the chief organizer of the tax clinics, says the council receives about $6,000 from the City of Ottawa to operate the clinics. She says the money is being used to install two phone lines, for advertising and for the travel expenses of the volunteers who supervise the clinics.
Clinics will be held at Dalhousie Community Centre and the McNabb Community Centre March 18. The Jack Purcell Community Centre will hold a clinic March 20. The clinics are open from 7 to 9 p.m. and appointments can be made by calling the citizens council between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Shore says people can be scheduled in as standbys if all the time slots are booked for a location.
They also try to accommodate drop-ins but those with appointments and standbys come first, she adds. A mail-in service is also available for people with disabilities.